Automobile-lifting device



A.E.TRAlNOR AND R R MORRIS AUTOMOBILE L'IEUNG DEVICE. APPLICATION rxLEn ^Pn1s.1919.

1 ,334,509. Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT oEEIoE.

ALEXANDER E. TRAINOR AND ROBERT F. MORRIS, 0F SUISUN CITY, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE-LIFTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed April 16, 1919. Serial No. 290,436.

To all whom it may conce/rn:

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER E. TEAINOR and ROBERT F. MORRIS, both citizens of the United States, residing at Suisun City, in the county of Solano and State of California, have invented new and use-` invention to provide a structure which will be decidedly Simple in its design and operation and upon which automobiles may be placed and supported a considerable dis tance above the level of the floor, thereby eliminating the use of objectionable pits for the repair of the car whileholding the car in a position where it may be conveniently repaired or otherwise given attention.

The present invention contemplates the use of a rigid base Structure upon which is pivotally mounted at a point intermediate its ends, a runway adapted to be tilted to a horizontal plane, said runway being tilted by the weight of an automobile as it is transferred therealong by the operation of a windlass carried on the base structure.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, illustrating the complete device and further Showing it in dotted lines, as elevated.

Fig. 2 is a view in plan elevation for showing the invention and particularly disclosing the parallel runways thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section, as seen along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and discloses the construction of the base.

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical section, as seen on the line 4-1 of Fig. 2, disclosing the formation of the runways and the manner in which they are supported.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view, illustrating the hinge connection for the trip members.

Fig. 6 is a view in end elevation and section as seen on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, further disclosing the reinforcement of the base.

Fig. 7 is a view in section and elevation corresponding to Fig. 5, showing the foot member in its unfolded position.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary View, illustrating the manner in which the members are fas tened together.

Fig. 9 is' a fragmentary view, illustrating the manner in which the elements of the base are secured to each other.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the present invention comprises a base structure 10 and a platform or runway 11. The base structure is here shown as formed with vertical legs 12 which are secured to parallel side rails 13. These side rails are secured together by cross rails 141, as more particularly shown in Fig. 2. A set of reinforcing members 15 are secured to the legs and the side and cross rail, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4L and 6, thus holding the base structure in a rigid position upon a base floor 16, shown in Fig. 1. This design provides that the complete base, including the floor 16, the various legs 12 and the horizontally extending rails will form a rigid structure at one end of which the runway 11 is mounted.

At a point substantially midway the ends of the runway, a cross bar 1S is provided. This bar is fitted with a plurality of hinges 19, which are secured to the end cross member 14 of the base structure, and by this means the runway may be swung vertically to move from 'an inclined position, as indicated by solid lines in Fig. 1, to a horizontally alined position, as indicated by dotted lines 1in the same figure. The runway itself comprises two track members 19 and 20, which are parallel to each other and are spaced a distance apart representing the width between the wheels of an ordinary automobile. The outer sides of these track members are provided with guard ledges 21 by which the wheels will be held upon the y tracks and which will prevent accident, due

toany cause whatsoever. Mounted at the outer or free end of the runway and sup ported therebeneath is a pair of legs 22, which may swing downwardly to support the runway when in its position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. These legs may swing outwardly upon their hinges and will assume abutting positions against a stop rail 23, which is fastened across from one track member 19 to the opposite one.

At the opposite end of the base member from the point to which the runway is hinged is provided a windlass 24.-. This windlass is supported within suitable bearings 25, secured upon extensions of the side walls 13 of the base. The windlass is here shown as provided with opposite winding cranks 26. It will be understood that instead of using the shaft as shown in the drawings, that it will be desirable at times to provide an enlarged winding drum and v this might be done without interfering with Y of our invention as it 1s now known to us,

the spirit of the present invention. The drum or shaft 24 is fitted with a cable 27. This cableis intended to be fastened to the rear or front axle of the vehicle and to draw the vehicle along the runway to its position of support upon the base.

In operation of the present invention, the automobile is placed with its front or rear wheel upon the lower inclined end ofthe runway 11. The cable Q7 is then fastened to 'automobile directly over the base and will rigidly support it so that work may be done around or under the culty. v

It will thus be seen that the device here machine without diffidisclosed, while decidedly simple in its construction and design, at the same time provides' 'suitable means which may be conveniently operated Yfor placing anV automobile in a positionv whereit may be easily repaired; This will eliminate the use of pits within which gas accumulates and which are otherwise dangerous, thus placing the automobile in full if'iew. from all sides and beneath and allow complete ventilation to be provided the workmen as they proceed with the repair work.

llVhileV we have shown the preferred form it will be understood that various changes in the construction, combination, arrangement of parts may be made by one skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invent-ion as claime Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A device to transfer vehicles from one elevation to another, including a rectangular table with supporting legs and braces, a supplemental table of substantially double the length of the main table and having wheel tracks and guards and a transverse central cross bar, hinges by which the cross bar is tiltably connected withthe posts of the supporting table at one Yend, legs hinged beneath and near the outer end of the tilt-able table, and a stop rail transversely of the table against which the legs abut when unfolded to maintain the tiltable table horizontal.

2. A device to transfer vehicles from one elevation to another including a rectangular supporting frame having legs and braces, a pair of continuous trackways of subs-tain tially twice the length of the main frame and secured in parallel relation to each other, hinge means for securing the traclnvays to one end of the main frame, a windlass nicchanism vsecured to the opposite end of the main frame and adapted to be used in drawing` a vehicle upwardly along the normally inclined trackways, and legs normally folded beneath the outer end of the traclnvays and adapted to assume vertical positions therebeneath when a vehicle has been drawn along the trackways to a position over the main frame.

Tn testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER E. TRAINOR. ROBERT F. MORRIS. Witnesses n C. E. Toni, Gno. D. MITCHELL. 

